Tae Keller '15 has been awarded the Newbery Medal for her New York Times bestseller When You Trap a Tiger.
The Newbery Medal was named for 18th-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
"I'm grateful to the professors at Bryn Mawr for fostering my creativity, encouraging my critical thinking, and supporting my growth," says Keller, who majored in English (now Literatures in English) at Bryn Mawr.
When You Trap a Tiger brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.
From the publisher:
"When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni’s Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal–return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni’s health–Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice…and the courage to face a tiger."
Keller is also the author of The Science of Breakable Things.
The Department of Literatures in English offers a wide range of courses in literatures of the English-speaking world, from medieval romances to contemporary novels and film. Students develop their own paths through the major, experimenting with historical periods, genres, forms and methodologies that might be unfamiliar, while also developing expertise in areas of specific interest to them.